Revised and Edited by Mr. D 11/16/11

Nitrogen Cycle By: Ryan Herdler



try the nitrogen cycle links below:

nitrogen cycle animation 1


nitrogen cycle animation 2






for the Nitrogen Cycle:







1. What living organism in the soil is responsible for breaking down nitrogen and making it usable for plants to take in and grow?

The organizim that is responsible for breaking down the Nitrogen and making it usable is bactera











2. If plants can't take nitrogen in from the air, how does the nitrogen come from the air to the soil?
Again It seems that the bacteria are in-charge of this job















3. Nitrogen is a waste product, but it is an important element found in living things. What is that compound? Watch the Carbon/Nitrogen cycle movie carefully (it is found on the carbon page)



Protein, amino acids



















4. Why do we make sure to break down the soil and rake it in the garden rather than packing the soil down with the shovel?
We break up the soil so we can have more oxygen for the bacteria that is so important in the nitrogen cycle. Bacteria make the unusable nitrogen in the atmosphere usable for plants through chemical reactions.




5. How much nitrogen did we find in our gardens?

We found deficent nitrogen in the finn, middle school, and lower school.
And we found adequate nitrogen in the west and gym garden









6. How could we increase the amount of nitrogen in our garden soils?


We could increase the amount by adding certain products or animals.

Some good ideas might include adding some fertilizer (filled with N, P, and K), organic matter, or manure to the garden in the spring.